2009/03/30

I have often said that you can tell a lot about a person by spending time with their dog. I really do believe that.

I know a man who does foster care for German Shepherd rescues. He's brilliant at it, and loves doing it too. He keeps dogs which have special needs; either they were abused, or they have some other issue requiring great care. Over the time I've known him, he has cared for three dogs. Each took on a nearly identical character. They played and ran with abandon, loved to cuddled, and were almost insatiably curious. Of course, these are traits that you expect from all German Shepherds. But, his have these traits uniformly.

I know of another family which has a German Shepherd. It never plays. It's always on guard and frequently growls, even at me. The owners are defensive and suspicious by nature. They are closed. Once the wife deigned to show me some of her art collection and I remember thinking that it was the first real conversation we'd had. Ever. Come to think of it, she sometimes emits a low-level growl too.

I know a woman who is guardian to a beautiful Standard Poodle. She is bright, stubborn, and oppositional. Am I talking about the dog or the woman? Both. Truly.

One interesting question is whether we choose pets which reflect our own character traits or whether our pets naturally pick them up?

A better question, better for me anyway, is what does my own dog's behavior say about me? He is a self-important little man, isn't he? Always running around the backyard doing important duties. Oh, he's most impressed with himself, he is.

But, he was a stray, you know. And, I often see in his eyes a little insecurity. Am I really lovable? he wants to know. My dog, so beautiful, so smart, such a great dog, can't get past his past. He's had hours, hours totaling days, of me petting him and telling him that he is good and wanted. But, it's hard for him.

Earlier this evening someone asked me to tell them what I did today. It was such a boring list of little tasks. Going through this spreadsheet. Writing a Big Memo. Phone calls. Ick! Am I just running around in the backyard of my own self-importance doing my duties?

I have quit this soul-killng work so many times I can't count them. But, I always come back because... cha-ching! Because I can't face my past without the venere of self-importance than money gives me. That's the naked truth of it.

I am a dog.

So, anyway, if I haven't put you totally off the idea, pay attention to what your dog might be saying about you.

And, Marianne, if you want an example that we both know, just think of E and her little dog S. S is a gentle and most loving dog within the confines of her familial unit. She's even grown to love me a little bit. But, the minute she feels there is a threat to her family she growls like a Rottweiler. I mean, it's scary. But, isn't that a little bit like E who loves all her family, even the crazy ones, but would stand up and fight to the death if any of them were threatened. See...

I never thought of Dragon and I like this...it never occurred to me...but now that I think about it...he was often depressed like me, or I was depressed like him...off my food, not sleeping well, or sleeping too much...he would drag his tail and drop his ears...maybe his way of crying...maybe we are all a bit dog...and they are a little bit human.

It's not quite the same with cats, though I sometimes wonder. Back when I was living with Alyosha of blessed memory (and a holy feline he was - I called him Alyosha the Bodhicat sometimes) someone who met him for the first time looked at me holding him in my arms and told me we looked alike! He lived a good long time, too.

Miss + Maya Pavlova is much prettier than I, and she is a combo of serene holy kitty and spoiled brat -- which, come to think of it, hmmm...

The Divine Miss Em (Emily Louise/Emmy Lou), the EpiscoPup, is a rescue from a pound in Georgia who came to NY State via rescue relay. She started shy and aggressive toward men (I'm sure she had been abused). It took time and repetition. Now she is a romping Barksperson for adoption. I fell in love with her sienna brown eyes - somewhat forelorn. She has yoga in her somewhere (peeing while walking on front 2 paws with back ones doing 'spread eagle'. Em is a girly girl, hates getting her paws wet and loves to snuggle. Without the slightest doubt, she has helped me become a more patient, gentle, loving human being!

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You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.